“Are they admitting it’s actually his photo?”— Garoseoro claps back at Kim Soo-hyun’s lawsuit, reveals late Kim Sae Ron's audio recording source

On March 20, 2025, Garoseoro Research Institute responded to Kim Soo-hyun’s legal lawsuit against the channel. They questioned whether the actor’s agency was indirectly confirming the authenticity of a controversial recording of him being at late actress Kim Sae-ron's house.

For those unaware, the actress took her life on the day of Kim Soo-hyun's birthday in February this year. Her family has since accused Kim Soo-hyun of dating her since she was a minor. There have been several other accusations towards KimSoo-hyun by Sae-ron's family. They alleged pressuring her mentally asking her to repay around 700 million KRW that the Gold Medalist had lent her earlier.

Kim Soo-hyun's company also refuted the pictures, text, and other evidence proving his relationship with ten-underaged Sae-ron. Kim Soo-hyun's side has now decided to file a lawsuit against Garosero.

However, now Garosero pointed out that the Gold Medalist had initially denied the image depicting the actor but later proceeded with legal action, raising doubts about their stance. As per Allkpop, the YouTube channel stated,

"At first, they denied that the photo was of Kim Soo Hyun, claiming it was just the back of a person. But now that they are filing a complaint, are they admitting it’s actually his photo? It’s ridiculous."

Alongside this, Garosero revealed that late actress Kim Sae-ron’s former manager, Kwak Tae-young, was responsible for leaking a private audio recording of the actress. The institute also shared a handwritten letter from Sae-ron’s mother, expressing her sorrow and frustration over the situation.

Meanwhile, Garosero had planned a press conference with Kim Sae-ron’s family to clarify the circumstances surrounding the leaked audio. However, the event was canceled due to her mother’s deteriorating health. The institute strongly criticized Kwak Tae-young for recording and sharing the audio of the late actress. They called it a serious violation of privacy.

Additionally, they warned that journalist Lee Jin-ho could face legal consequences for defaming the late actress. The family had previously suggested that Lee Jin-ho's repeated coverage of Kim Sae-ron after her DUI incident years back had deeply affected her mental health.

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More on the allegations of Kim Soo-hyun by Kim Sae-ron’s family and the ongoing investigation

According to a recent report, Kim Sae-ron’s family is currently living in a small home with the pet dog she had raised. Her mother, who has two other children, is said to be in poor health and has difficulty moving. They also kept her paintings, which she had shared online while Kim Soo-hyun’s drama Queen of Tears was airing. These artworks reportedly reflected her emotional struggles.

Garosero stressed that the unauthorized sharing of the audio recording had caused secondary harm to Kim Sae-ron’s family. They have also urged the authorities to take action against those responsible.

They revealed that Kwak Tae-young had continued managing Kim Sae-ron even after her contract with Gold Medalist ended claiming he was starting his agency. However, behind the scenes, he had allegedly been leaking information to Lee Jin-ho. According to Kbizoom, on the day of Kim Sae-ron’s passing, Lee Jin-ho made a controversial claim that he had only been asked to assist in her comeback.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, has taken legal action not only against Garosero but also against Kim Sae-ron’s bereaved family. The agency accused them of distributing a private image of Kim Soo-hyun.

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Kim Sae-ron's claimed that the situation could not be ignored despite their initial reluctance to pursue legal measures. They warned that if further false claims were made, they would take strong action to protect their actor’s reputation.